


Spirits, Unexpected

by TheWorkoftheHeart



Series: Corazon, the Klabautermann [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Canon, Gen, Klabautermann, Mystery, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Repairs, Spirits, Submarines, of sorts!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:22:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26566519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheWorkoftheHeart/pseuds/TheWorkoftheHeart
Summary: Law was suddenly shifted from his focus at the feeling of eyes boring holes into the top of his head. He blinked a few times, trying to get back into the motions of things, but the staring didn’t stop. There was no “hello” or call from whoever was above him, so he assumed it was just one of his crewmates checking in on the status of the painting and staring (quite rudely).He turned his head up to bark at them to not stare when his eyes met someone completely unfamiliar.
Relationships: Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Heart Pirates & Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Corazon, the Klabautermann [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943893
Comments: 68
Kudos: 163





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me yesterday as an offhanded and completely unrelated concept while working on my previous fic, Fault. I've been unable to stop thinking about it ever since, and I've been struck with the inspiration to write it into a full-fledged fanfic.

The sea breeze was cool in comparison to the heat of the summer island’s spring. It was a perfect temperature for ship repairs, as well as waiting for the Straw Hat crew to arrive from their location an island south. Nami had reported it would take about three days to arrive to the island the Heart Pirates were docked on, which was no problem; the Polar Tang was in need of some repair, and that’s what she would be getting in that meantime.

Law had sent off his crew to scope the area and go shopping in one of the nearby city districts, if possible, while he, Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin tended to the ship. No one knew their way around the Tang as well as those four; it felt their responsibility to fix any damage she’d taken in the last bouts of currents on their way here. Law, particularly, was sitting on a lowered swing-seat on the side of the ship, adding a much-needed coating of paint to their jolly roger. 

The waves of the shallows crashed soothingly below him, and above, the sun kept him comfortably warm as the breeze tousled his hair that he’d long since abandoned trying to fix. He was engulfed in his work. The layer of orange was bright and tangerine-sweet against the old, dried coating that had begun to chip after a year without a new paint job. Honestly, painting the ship had been the last of their worries; however, they had more than enough time to give the Polar Tang some TLC.

Law was suddenly shifted from his focus at the feeling of eyes boring holes into the top of his head. He blinked a few times, trying to get back into the motions of things, but the staring didn’t stop. There was no “hello” or call from whoever was above him, so he assumed it was just one of his crewmates checking in on the status of the painting and staring (quite rudely).

He turned his head up to bark at them to not stare when his eyes met someone completely unfamiliar. Their head was cocked over the edge of the submarine’s rail, their body skinny and tall and awkward as they tried to see what Law was doing-- or, were they trying to see Law’s face?

To say he didn’t shout would be a complete and utter lie. He lost his balance, falling off the swing and into the shallows below with a loud splash, and with wide-open eyes he watched the figure almost disappear in thin air the moment he collided with the waves. Despite feeling the sand graze his back quite quickly, he felt his body lose strength with increasing speed; had he really gotten himself killed over a small scare? He felt his face flush with embarrassment as his throat began to burn, and--

Two hands grabbed him and hoisted him out of the water. Law coughed loudly as he resurfaced, Penguin’s hands strong against him as he slammed a hand to his back to help him spit out the water in his throat.

“What the hell happened?!” Shachi called, jumping down onto the dock and running to his captain’s side. Bepo resurfaced from under the water and clambered onto shore, using his paws to swipe sand from his stomach fur.

Law was sat down on the sand, and he wiped his mouth with soaking hands. He looked at the water, dyeing itself an orange-teal from spilled paint. Luckily, none had splattered onto their submarine. He looked to the faces of his crew, and none of them matched that of the stranger that had been leering at him.

“Someone was staring at me, from on board. We may have a stowaway or some kind of bounty hunter,” he explained. “We need to do a full sweep of the ship and make sure _no one_ is on board.”

Shachi and Penguin looked to one another, sharing a nod. Shachi looked back to Law and clapped a fist onto his hand. “Alright. Cap, Bepo, you two head inland. We’ll do a ship check and contact you via DenDen Mushi once we have the all clear. Do _not_ come back until we call, okay?”

Law nodded. He stood up, wringing out the fabric he had tied around his waist. “Alright. Be safe, and be diligent. We can’t let someone hurt the crew or tamper with our ship.”

The two nodded, running back to reload into the submarine. Bepo placed a hand on Law’s shoulder, and he shrugged it away as he made his way into the woods, following the dirt path leading towards the city.

After about an hour, Shachi had called Law and told him that there was absolutely no sign of any intruder on the submarine. No hiding spaces in closets, nothing in the crawl spaces, and no tampering. Law was confused by the revelation, swearing up and down that he _saw someone_ , and Penguin reasoned they may have run off when Law shouted. The four agreed to stay on alert just in case something happened, and Bepo and Law returned to work.

The rest of the day into the evening was uneventful. Despite an uncomfortable edge on board, there was no sign of any intruder or bounty hunter, neither on the boat nor in the city; various crew members came and went throughout the afternoon, dropping off shopping bags or coming to check on the Tang’s status. She was better than she had when they’d first docked, but she still had a multitude of dents and small cracks to be patched up and repainted, and the other jolly roger was in dire need of a new coat of paint as well. That could be for another day, though, came the collective decision: for now, they needed to get something to eat.

The Heart Pirates crew had found a nice seaside restaurant, one that had a no-fighting policy for pirates, Navymen, and whomever else would find themselves among the seating. It was the safest option, and Bepo was all for the cool evening air instead of what would likely be the stuffy temperature of an indoor seafood restaurant. Dinner went off without a hitch, and it felt nice to collectively eat together in a nice setting without being gawked at or targeted. Clione brought up the idea of treating the Straw Hats to a meal like this, but Jean Bart quickly rebutted with something about Sanji more than likely preparing _them_ a far superior meal, and that particular topic was dropped with laughter. 

Law decided to leave early. As nice as dinner was, he was known to have a dislike for public spaces and loud noise, to which the restaurant provided both. On top of that, he was still unbelieving that the ship was _truly_ empty. He trusted Shachi and Penguin with every fiber of his being; if he were dying, they would be among the select few people he trusted with his own life. However, the idea of a potential intruder sneaking on board when no one else was there to keep watch was something Law couldn’t risk.

He heard clanging from the deck as he arrived. He hid behind one of the trees at the shore’s edge, trying to see who the person was or what they were doing; he could see a moonlight-soaked figure using a repairman’s hammer to pound a metal strip into place on their entryway. The figure appeared to hit their finger, and recoiled back to put the finger to their lip to ease the bleeding before returning to their work like nothing had happened.

Why was a stranger repairing their ship? Law didn’t trust it.

“Hey!” Law shouted, finally making himself visible as he ran towards the submarine. The figure looked to Law, startled, and the strings of their hoodie swung with the motion. The ends had little felt hearts sewn to them. Law froze immediately as the figure darted into the darkness, and he could see their silhouette just... vanish. They didn’t jump off the ship, or enter a room, they just completely disappeared.

Law’s heart was pounding in his chest, drowning out the sound of the waves as the noise throbbed in his head. He found himself catching his breath. Finally, he was able to muster a whisper.

“What the fuck was that?”


	2. II

Law was restless. Absolutely restless. No matter how long he laid in bed, no matter how many tactics he tried to make his brain _shut up_ about the strange stowaway and just let him _sleep_ , he couldn’t.

Why did their hoodie have hearts on the edge of the strings? Why, after so many years, did that simple thing still mean so much? And how, how, _how_ did this person know about that?

Law had checked the spot that was repaired more times than he could count on both hands. It was, truly, an attempt at repair and not sabotage. When his crew had arrived, they’d squawked at him over repairing the ship on his own, that it was dangerous, that he needed to rest and not try to repair an entire submarine by himself. Law didn’t have the heart to tell them he didn’t do it. He couldn’t bring himself to tell them he saw the stranger again, either.

Night turned to dawn, and before he knew it, the sun was coming up. Law groaned as the yellow-orange light began to pepper through his window. Another fucking sleepless night. 

Law slid out of bed, putting on a simple coat to appear decent so he could go fix himself a glass (or four) of coffee. The submarine was still due for more repairs, and by God, he was going to do them. He trudged through the corridors past barely-awake crew members and some who were always too chipper come morning. He gave his typical morning greetings as he went into the cafeteria, and goddammit, the stranger was _in his kitchen_.

They were fumbling with their broken ice machine now. The empty cafeteria rattled with the uncomfortable sound of the ice maker rattling, and the figure moved with silent chuckles when the machine would presumably get stuck and they would fumble with it with a little more strength than before. Law didn’t interrupt them, but he watched. He needed as many details of this stranger as he could get. 

A bright yellow raincoat, covering their head and ending towards their ankles. They were tall, lanky, and awkward, having to crouch down to reach into the fridge and get to what they needed to, but from behind, that was the only notable thing. The same repairman’s hammer from last night was in a small loop on the waist of the coat. 

Had the stranger been on board all night, after all? 

Finally, the ice machine clattered, and ice began spilling out onto the floor. The figure jumped back, then cocked their head back with laughter, though Law couldn’t hear it. From what little the figure’s head moved, he saw a pin on the side of the hoodie that resembled the submarine; it was small, sure, but he knew the design anywhere.

Ice continued to spill onto the floor, and the figure vanished into thin air. Law blinked, unsure if he actually saw them _vanish_ before he realized he should keep the ice from overflowing the kitchen. He ran to the fridge and jammed the ice box back into place, hearing it give a satisfying click instead of the usual broken clanking. Just to test it, he grabbed a mug from the cabinet and shut the fridge, pressing it against the ice dispenser.

Ice actually came out. Whatever the stranger had done, they’d completely fixed the ice machine. They swore they’d have to get a new unit because of it-- now, though, he supposed they wouldn’t have to.

“Oh, Captain! Did you fix the ice dispenser?”

It was Clione’s voice that called out to him, startling him into awareness. “Huh? Oh, erm... yes. Sorry about the spill.”

Clione looked at the floor, and laughed so hard Law swore they’d end up hurting themself. “Don’t even worry about it! At least we have a working ice dispenser now. Saves us a couple hundred beri, eh?” 

Law just chuckled awkwardly, pouring the unused ice back into the ice box. Clione began brewing some coffee, knowing that not only Law would need it, but so would a good majority of their night-owl crew. As coffee brewed, Clione swept up the ice, telling Law not to fret over it and to save his energy for ship repairs. 

Law just nodded in absent agreement. He couldn’t stop thinking about the stranger. They were _so tall_ , it’d be impossible to miss them if they were actually stowing away on the ship. He believed in spirits solely because the existence of the Straw Hat’s musician had swayed him into believing it’s _possible_ , after many hours of the skeleton talking his ears off about what it was like on Thriller Bark to be among so many ghosts and zombies, but Law didn’t think they had any sort of spirit aboard their ship. There was no reason to have one, and even if they did, why would it be so docile? They were a vicious crew. If they _did_ have spirits, it’d make more sense for them to be malicious.

Perhaps Law was getting sick. Maybe he was just feverish and hallucinating things.

“I’m... I’m going to do a self check-up, I think,” Law grumbled, taking a mug from the cabinets and fixing himself a cup of coffee. Clione gave him a worried look, but didn’t ask questions. Law quickly shuffled to the medical ward, putting up a Room as soon as the door was latched shut.

He checked all over. Checked his kidneys, his liver (which he always checked, just out of habit), his bloodstream. He hadn’t been poisoned, none of his organs were failing, he had no infections. He most certainly didn’t have a fever. Law was, by all means, perfectly healthy, other than the occasional oddity that he’d long since gotten used to and no longer saw as an issue.

He put everything back into place and brought down his room, feeling a wave of exhaustion further cover him. He needed to stop using his powers when he was tired, he knew this, but he couldn’t be arsed to stop using his powers until he’s well rested. He unlocked the door to the medical ward and almost ran into Penguin upon leaving.

“Oh! Captain! Are you okay?” he asked, sitting down the canisters of paint he was carrying. “You look tired.”

“Just insomnia, nothing different from usual.” Law picked up one of the paint cans, smiling tightly. “Let’s head up to the deck and get moving. The sooner we complete repairs, the sooner we can go venture around the island before Straw Hat-ya gets here.”

Penguin grinned. “Don’t forget your coffee, Captain,” he said with a chuckle before making his way towards the upper decks. Law grabbed his almost-forgotten drink off the countertop and carried himself up to the decks of the Polar Tang.

Just like the previous day, the wind was cool against the stark hot air; the water glistened over the horizon, beaches expanding for miles, the forest lining it all leading towards mountains and reclusive cities and villages scattered throughout. It was a beautiful island. He never expected something so peaceful to be interlaced in the chaotic seas of the New World.

Law took a look at the repair from the night before. The metal was still there, covering one of the cracks and reinforcing the strength of the submarine’s siding. This repairman certainly knew what they were doing, though Law would’ve liked a little forewarning.

“Warn me before you do this, next,” he mumbled to the air, as though somehow the stowaway would hear him. He pried open a canister of bright yellow paint before coloring the silver metal with it.

The coolness of morning was replaced with the sweltering heat of the day soon enough, and the crew decided all to take a break and spend it on the beach-- more particularly, in the water. Law had allowed Bepo to carry him into the waves, just to cool down, and after a while Ikkaku had thrown him a small life ring so he could stay in the water at his own leisure, so long as he didn’t slip out of it. He had to admit, the ocean was incredibly nice; if he weren’t at risk of drowning he would’ve dived down into its depths out of morbid curiosity, just to feel the water get colder and see exactly how long he could hold his breath if he could control it. That wasn’t the case, though, so Law didn’t entertain the thoughts.

He eventually had Uni take him to shore, as he felt like he should get back to work. The others tried to convince him to stay a while longer, but Law expressed that as a Devil Fruit user he felt entirely useless having a _beach holiday_ , so they relented. Law toweled off and made his way back towards the upper deck, when he heard the sound of metal moving. He heard it slide into place, and found himself searching until he found the other end of the submarine inhabited by the same stranger. Law had been able to take one look at their hands before they started hammering the metal into place, as if to say _at least I warned you_ , hiding their face from him entirely.

“Hey,” Law tried, hoping the stranger would give him any attention. They didn’t. They only hammered the metal into place, paying attention to the nails and bolts as it melded in perfectly over one of the many, many dents. 

“Hey.” Law was louder. Still, he got no reply, so he examined them from the side; they hadn’t changed, even over the course of an entire day. The same yellow raincoat, the same clip on one side of the hood, the same fabric hearts on the pull-strings for the hood. He still, still couldn’t see their face, and it was infuriating.

Law felt anger boiling up in his stomach. “Fucking _look_ at me,” he growled, placing his fingers between one of the nails about to be hammered in so they’d have to either stop and look or break his hand, and they looked to him, and--

He awoke to Ikkaku cradling his head, Shachi and Penguin by his side, Bepo looking over Ikkaku’s shoulder with worry.

“What the hell happened?!” Ikkaku blurted, once Law found himself blinking into consciousness. “Everything was fine, we heard you working, and then you screamed, and we came running and you had blacked out!”

Law looked down, holding up his hand to get a look at it. It was completely fine. It didn’t even hurt. _They’d stopped and looked at him._

He swallowed back the tight feeling in his throat, shaking his head. “I... I just thought I saw a ghost, is all,” he explained, and to an extent, he wasn’t lying.

He saw a faceless ghost with Corazon’s makeup on.

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay, Captain?” Penguin asked, placing a hand to his cheek. Law swatted it away, easing out of Ikkaku’s hold. He didn’t want to be touched right now.

“I checked myself earlier, I’m _fine_. I think it’s just a lack of sleep making me see things, is all.”

Bepo hummed. “Maybe a little paranoia about the whole intruder business from yesterday, too?”

“Very much that,” Law agreed, finding it easier to use that as an excuse than to risk needing to explain himself.

Shachi crossed his arms. “Then, as your crew, we’re giving _you_ an order: go to bed. Don’t work tomorrow, we can fix the ship ourselves. If we see anything weird, or hear something, we’ll come let you know, okay? But right now, you need to sleep and take care of yourself. You’ve been acting like a frightened cat all day and it’s been freaking us out, we’re not gonna lie.”

The other three nodded in agreement. Law couldn’t protest them. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t protest his _crew_.

He stood up, holding the rails of the submarine for balance. Bepo held out a tentative paw to lead him to his quarters, and Law decided that he would at least give Bepo that much. He took his paw in his hand, and the two went back into the submarine, leaving the others to finish the work Law had been so intent on starting on his own-- or, what they assumed Law had begun working on. As far as his crew was concerned, he wasn’t going to tell them any differently. Not yet. Not until he knew what was going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this so far and want more info on when it updates, follow me on Twitter @hanahana_no__mi!
> 
> This fic will update again tomorrow around 1pm EST. Stay tuned!


	3. III

The Straw Hat crew had arrived a day earlier than anticipated. Luffy’s tell-tale shout of an island coming into view was the Heart Pirates’ wake up call, and all of them had trudged onto the deck to see the Thousand Sunny coming towards them in the sunlight, riding over the waves with a big grin on the lion’s face. The entire crew was waiting at the bow to see the Heart’s captain, and upon seeing Law give them a half-hearted wave, they all moved to their stations to get the ship ready to dock close beside them. The Hearts made their way inside for a quick coffee break, watching the extravagant ship draw closer out the window.

Law still couldn’t get the thought of the Corazon-faced stowaway out of his head.

He needed to talk to someone about it. He didn’t want to worry his crew by bringing up the stranger again, but it was all he could think about. Perhaps there was someone on the Straw Hat crew he could talk to about it?

Franky, he decided. Franky was good. Law didn’t know much about him, and Franky didn’t know much about Law either; perhaps he could get an honest, genuine opinion from an unbiased individual. He’d either validate Law’s claims, or tell him that he needed to pull his head out of his ass and start thinking logistically. 

The shallows rattled as the Sunny’s paw-anchor dropped into the sand, and Luffy’s excited cheering could be heard from outside, followed by a splash in the water. Beside Law, Shachi snorted from laughter over his glass of coffee.

“What a dumbass,” he mumbled, and Law just nodded in agreement, finishing off his own drink. He stood from his chair and dusted off the front of his vest, ready to go find the Straw Hats’ shipwright. If anyone could explain a spirit that appeared only during repairs, he reasoned, it would be someone who repaired a ship as a _job_.

Law made his way to the deck of the submarine, opening a Room once he’d situated himself outside. He found a small stone on the Straw Hats’ ship as though it had been placed there purposefully, and to humor them, he swapped places with it, appearing on the deck of the Sunny. The grass tickling his ankles was always something he could never anticipate, but it was a nice feeling, misty and warm from morning dew and the spray of sea water. The sails above him flickered loudly and fluttered above him like blankets, and he watched as Luffy bounded towards him with alarming enthusiasm, using the railing of the stairwell to launch himself in Law’s direction. Law couldn’t react before Luffy collided with his face and upper torso.

“Torao!” Luffy exclaimed. Law clawed at Luffy’s back before managing to pull him out of his face-hugging position, and Luffy let his feet collide with the ground, laughing all the while. “I’m so glad to see you!”

“ _Warn me_ before you come running at me like that,” Law scolded, brushing himself off and readjusting his hat on his head. “Anyways, I see you and your crew made it here safely.”

Luffy beamed. “Yep! All thanks to Nami and Jinbe’s help! Without them, it would’ve taken another day!”

Law was honestly glad they were early. He was itching for answers. He looked around the deck of the Sunny, not seeing any other crew members around. “Where’s Franky-ya? I need to speak with him about important matters.”

“Franky...” Luffy thought for a minute, patting his cheek with his thumb. Finally, he slapped his fist onto his hand, like he’d remembered. “I think he’s down in his workspace! It’s inside the Sunny, down a few stairs. Should have a sign on the door! You can’t miss it.”

He was surprised to get such an easy answer, and to be let away so easy; though, he expected Luffy was going to go bother the other Heart Pirates, which would buy him some time. He nodded- a silent thank you- before leaving Luffy behind and making his way inside the Sunny.

He’d been inside the Thousand Sunny before. It had a homey interior that currently smelled like finished breakfast and sounded like casual chatter; the Sunny was always alive in many ways, and sometimes, in ways he couldn’t place. He walked past the kitchen and descended another flight of stairs before finding the aforementioned door. A crooked wooden sign reading “Franky’s SUPER LAB!” hung from the porthole window, and the curtains were pulled closed; from inside, he could hear buzzing, and lights flashed against the darkness of the fabric. He knocked on the door with the back of his knuckles tentatively, not wanting to startle whoever was inside and potentially cause an accident. He heard some call of acknowledgement, and he pushed the door open. Two of the Straw Hats were crouched over a work table, putting together some metal contraption that Law didn’t wish to examine long enough to make sense of. He instead cleared his throat, playing with the collar of his shirt.

“May I speak to you about something?”

Franky and Usopp both looked up from their work desk. Usopp flipped up his goggles, smiling when he saw Law in the doorway.

“Hey, Torao! Of course, what’s going on?”

Law shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. He didn’t expect their sniper to be here, but he supposed it couldn’t be helped. Franky pulled up his welding helmet and sat down his flamethrower, turning in his seat to give Law his full attention.

“Yeah, bro! What’s up?”

Law fidgeted with his fingers, averted his eyes, sighed. “You two have to swear to me that you won’t mention this to anyone else. If you do, I’ll have your hearts in jars in my office,” he threatened, though it came more from a place of defense. Usopp seemed to clam up at the statement, but Franky seemed unbothered, mumbling something about not really having a heart for Law to take anyways, but he’d agree.

Once he had both of their promises, Law allowed himself to talk. “I... I keep seeing someone. On my ship. I think I’m the only one who can see him, and it’s driving me _crazy_.”

Usopp straightened up in his seat, his face immediately full of contemplation and curiosity. “Seeing someone? What do they look like?”

“He’s tall and thin. Very unique physique. He doesn’t have a discernible face, but I’ve only seen it once, so maybe he does and I just don’t know it. He’s constantly got on this big yellow raincoat.”

Franky’s face was struck with realization, as was Usopp’s. Usopp wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand, as though Law’s description struck a particular chord with him. “You said a yellow raincoat?” Usopp asked. Law nodded.

“A yellow raincoat. It’s got a pin of the Polar Tang on part of the hood.”

Franky cleared his throat. “Tor-bro... have you ever heard of something called a Klabautermann?”

A Klabautermann. A spirit of a ship that’s been loved by its crew. They were creatures only known in myth, and were said to be incredibly rare, to the point of being considered almost entirely nonexistent. But... is it possible it could’ve been..?

“I’ve heard of them. Ship spirits, right?”

“Right,” Usopp responded. “I’m assuming your submarine is really loved by your crew.”

Law chuckled dryly. “Of course. It’s been home to my crew and I ever since we were just starting out. It was a gift when I turned eighteen.”

Franky nodded. “Well, if your ship’s really beloved by your crew, that definitely fits one of the biggest qualifications for the spirit to come around. Has the ship needed any repairs recently?”

Law nodded again. “When we docked here, we spent the first two days fixing the exterior and doing some repainting.”

“Klabautermann are known to fix ships that are in need of repair,” Franky explained simply, leaning forward so his elbows touch his knees. “The ship before the Sunny was repaired by a Klabautermann until the ship couldn’t be fixed anymore, but that was only in their case. I’ve heard myths of other sailors having Klabautermann on ships that survive for decades. I’d say it’s very possible your ship has a Klabautermann attached to it, too.”

“But there’s something about it I don’t understand,” Law interrupted, rubbing his temple with his thumb and forefinger. “When... when I saw its... where its face would be. It had the makeup of the person I modeled my entire crew after. It _looks_ like the person I modeled my entire crew after. Is it some kind of ghost?”

The two pause. They think about his statement for a minute, for two. Finally, Franky speaks.

“We don’t know enough about Klabautermann to... to say definitively.”

“It’s possible it modeled itself after that person, but it’s also possible that... it could be _them,_ ” Usopp finished. “Klabautermann are a mystery. I guess it just depends on how it interacts when it's around you.”

Law’s chest felt tight. He couldn’t get the words out of his throat. The idea of it truly being Corazon... it brought Law overwhelming peace. However, he had to think about it logistically. The chances of that were slim to none, and he knew it. It likely just modeled itself after his late adoptive father because of how closely entwined his submarine was to Corazon as a person. 

Now, though, he had an answer. It was a Klabautermann.

“A Klabautermann,” Law repeated, testing the word in his mouth. He nodded. “Okay... thank you, God-ya, Franky-ya.”

Usopp lit up at being called “God”, rubbing his neck and blushing as he assured Law it was truly no problem. Franky just smiled, telling him if he needed anything else, Law knew where to find them.

As Law left the Thousand Sunny, he felt like he finally had closure, even if he couldn’t explain how.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4, the final chapter, will be posted sometime around 1pm EST tomorrow! Keep an eye out!


	4. IV

The Klabautermann is said to be a spirit of myth, one that comes from a ship that is deeply loved by every member of its crew. When it comes to the Polar Tang, that particular spirit looks like none other than Donquixote Rosinante.

With all the havoc of both crews moving around and spending all of their free time exploring and vacationing, Law was hardly on his submarine at all. Law rarely saw the spirit, and he was okay with that. Every night, when the Heart Pirates would return, the ship would have new repairs hidden about; a dent would be covered by a new piece of metal, a broken vent would suddenly be moving air throughout the ship, an internal wall would finally be reinforced. 

His crew would ask so many questions about who repaired the ship, how it got fixed and when, but Law would just smirk and shrug it off like he wasn’t bothered by it either way. The crew figured that if Law wasn’t concerned, they wouldn’t be either, so they came to appreciate the helping hand when it came to finalizing repairs.

Occasionally, out of the corner of his eye, Law would see the Klabautermann around, mingling between the decks of the Polar Tang and the Thousand Sunny. Usopp would be staring, too, as though someone else was standing there; Law and Usopp would make eye contact across the decks and share a knowing nod. He wondered, somewhere in the back of his mind, if the Straw Hats had a Klabautermann too. Maybe both of them were able to interact. At least it kept them both company.

It was the last day for the Heart Pirates to be docked on the island. They’d been here for a week; they’d have gladly stayed longer if they weren’t in the New World. It was just too dangerous to mingle in one place for too long for the sake of leisure. The Heart Pirates had work to be done, things to prepare for, jobs to do. Kaido wasn’t going to fight himself, after all, as easy as that would’ve made things.

It was Luffy’s idea to attend the city’s festival that afternoon as a farewell. “This festival only happens once every summer month,” Luffy cheered, as though it was some kind of rare feat for a _summer island_ , “we have to go! It’ll be fun!”

“You have to admit, a festival does sound pretty fun, Captain,” Ikkaku had agreed, and that was all Law needed to work it into their schedule. 

His crew had woken up the morning of as they usually did, most of them trudging around while others seemed to have enough energy to supply a small town. Law felt well-rested, which was new; even though he was crouched over his desk and his bad arm had a pulling feeling in all the wrong places, he had slept. That alone was something worth celebrating. He slipped up from his chair and made himself presentable, choosing to wear a nice coat instead of going completely shirtless as he had the last couple of days, and he left his room to head to the medical ward to grab something for his arm.

Penguin and Bepo were in there already, Bepo fussing over Penguin as he laughed at his newly-bandaged hand. The two caught a glimpse of Law in the doorway, eyebrows raised, and they couldn’t help but give him a courteous greeting in hopes of lessening his concerns.

“Hey, Captain!” Penguin chimed. “I spilled coffee on my hand.”

“ _Scalding hot coffee,_ ” Bepo corrected. “You could’ve gotten seriously hurt!”

“Bepo’s right, y’know,” Law replied with a smirk. He walked over to the cabinets and grabbed some painkillers and ointment, rolling up his sleeve to tend to his arm. “Especially on our last day on the island.”

Penguin just shrugged. “At least I didn’t get hurt during ship repair.” Law couldn’t argue with that reasoning, and neither could Bepo, who secured the bandages around Penguin’s wrist. Law finished up his own care, popping a few painkillers and swallowing them dry. Penguin came over and patted Law’s shoulder gently, and Law let him. 

“Alright. We should get breakfast and round up the crew, right?” Bepo suggested, and Law nodded.

“We’ve probably got one of the longest days of our lives ahead of us, knowing the Straw Hats,” Law replied simply, opening the door to the medical ward. Penguin and Bepo slipped out, and he followed behind them, closing the door tightly. “I’m going to do a quick sweep of the ship. One of you get me a black coffee, yeah?”

“Aye, Captain!” both his companions cheered, and they laughed to themselves before heading down the corridor to the cafeteria. Law waited until they had walked away before sighing, looking at the opposite end of the hallway. He’d seen the Klabautermann there the night before, just standing, watching; he’d had his back to the wall, reclined slightly, arms crossed out in front of him. Law passing by him earned no response, no attention, nothing at all. He supposed it couldn’t be helped. The Klabautermann is a spirit, after all; just because he can see it, doesn’t mean _it_ can see _him_. 

Despite his better judgement, he spoke in a low voice, still staring where the Klabautermann once stood. “If you truly are Cora-san--” the words got caught in his throat, “--give me a sign. Something only I would know.”

With that, Law turned on his heel and made his way into the cafeteria.

The hustle and bustle was... refreshing, oddly enough. The entire crew had gathered together for a collective meal instead of some staying and some carrying their food to their respective stations, and it was nice to hear everyone’s laughter and watch everyone interact with one another. It was moments like this that reminded Law why he didn’t mind having a larger crew. In moments like this, they _weren’t_ a crew. They were his _family_.

A large figure sidled up beside him, rocking him out of his thoughts. The steaming scent of coffee made its way towards Law. Law traced the hand up to Jean Bart, who was smirking down at him. “Beat them to the coffee,” he joked, and the captain found himself stifling a laugh as he took the mug from his hand.

“Thanks.” He was cautious as he took a sip, the smoky taste soothing in the back of his throat. He could feel himself waking up a little more. “Bet they weren’t happy.”

Jean Bart clicked his tongue, chuckling. “Nope. Were pretty disappointed about it. It doesn’t matter, though.” Jean Bart took a sip of his own coffee, making a face at the temperature for only a split second. “Are you ready for the festival? Straw Hat said he’d come get us when his crew’s ready to head out, so we’re just waiting for the signal, really.”

“I’m as ready as I can be,” Law replied. “It’s not like it takes much preparation for any of us.”

“That’s true.”

They stood in silence together, watching as people ate and finished their meals, laughed over cups of coffee, and helped one another with the dishes. About the time both of them had finished their drinks, the sound of footsteps colliding with the upper deck caught everyone’s attention, quickly followed by an enthusiastic holler.

“That would be Straw Hat-ya,” Law noted, and Jean Bart snorted.

“Yep. I’ll get your cup, Captain. You go take care of whatever you need to.”

“I appreciate it.”

His crew began to filter out of the cafeteria, though Uni stayed behind to finish up dishes and wash his hands in the sink. It only took a few minutes, and before long, he was running towards the door, shooting Law a smile on his way out. Law made sure the room was empty before turning off the light and heading out behind him.

The deck was alive with people, the Straw Hats and Heart Pirates all intermingling with one another, talking and laughing and gossiping. Law watched as Luffy jumped down onto the docks, his sandals smacking loudly against the wood.

“Hey, Luffy!” Nami called out. “Law isn’t here yet!”

“He can catch up! C’mon, guys!” That was all the warning Luffy gave before hurrying into the woods, his crew having no choice but to chase after him. Ikkaku walked towards the edge of the submarine, ready to head onto the docks, and smiled when she noticed her captain standing in the doorway. 

“There you are, slowpoke!” she teased, sticking her tongue out with a wink. She then looked to the rest of the crew. “Come on, everyone, Luffy’s not gonna catch up to himself!”

The Heart Pirates cheered as they ran off the Polar Tang. She rocked with a particular ferocity as they all disembarked, and Law was the last one down, making sure the submarine would stay stable before heading off. He quickly took pace to catch up with his crew, listening to the sound of his shoes clicking against wood, how it shifted to be the sliding of sand--

“Wait!”

The Heart Pirates froze. Ikkaku was staring back at the submarine with a bewildered expression, pointing to the railing. The crew turned around and quickly matched her, chattering loudly amongst themselves. Law could make out their words: “someone’s on the ship”.

Law turned around on his heel, looking behind him, turning his head up. Painted against the sunlight was the Klabautermann, looking Law dead in the face. Messy bangs covered where eyes would be, though he was very apparently lacking them; unique makeup made for his only other distinctive feature, the rest being a basic, smooth facial shape. His raincoat was glistening, a blinding yellow-white, hoodie strings adorned with familiar felt hearts on the end not unlike the ones on the end of Corazon’s old hat, the breeze brushing the coat to the side. He looked otherworldly this way. Truly a spirit of the sea.

Law stared at him for a moment, taking in his face. Suddenly, the Klabautermann beamed. He gave a wide smile, showing his teeth, and held up two fingers.

Law didn’t know how to react. _Give me a sign,_ he’d asked, not an hour before, and here it was, right in front of him. That same smile, that same gesture. The Klabautermann-- no, Corazon--’s mouth moved to form silent words.

“I love you!”

Law marveled at him for a second, a smile forming on his lips. A tear fell from his eyes and Corazon vanished as quickly as he came, leaving his crew behind him to marvel and question what they’d just witnessed.

“I love you, too,” Law whispered, and he was sure that Corazon heard it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me for this fic! I am so, so proud of it and I’m happy to see it so many people happy. I love each and every one of you! Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoy this, follow me on my Twitter, @hanahana_no__mi! Thank you so much for reading!


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